Kobe Hits Late Shot for Lakers to Beat the Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers are doing their best to forget all those awful memories of playing in the Boston Garden. Kobe Bryant sank the go-ahead basket with 7.3 seconds left, and the Lakers won 90-89 on Sunday for their third consecutive victory over the struggling Celtics. Boston has not been able to make good on the traditional “Beat L.A.!” chant since winning 131-92 to clinch the 2008 NBA championship here in Game 6 of the finals. “They smacked us two years ago,” Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. “It was a big game for us. This is a team that’s going to be battling to be coming out of the East.”

Winners of 32 NBA titles between them including the last two the Lakers and Celtics have met in the finals 11 times, from Bill Russell against Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain, to Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird and on to the current matchup of Bryant facing the New Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. But while the Lakers’ superstar came through in the stretch for them, Boston’s couldn’t.

Watch The Highlights of Lakers Beating the Celtics

Bryant complained of a stiff ankle after Friday night’s win in Philadelphia, and it seemed to bother him during the game. He shot just 8 for 20 but made the big one: making a move toward the basket before stepping back from Allen’s defense and swishing the ball through the net to give Los Angeles its only lead of the second half. “He had a couple of looks before that that were good looks, and he didn’t put them in. We were mystified by that,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who tied Pat Riley atop the franchise coaching list with his 533rd win in Los Angeles. “He told me the next one was going to go in, so we went with him.” Bryant finished with 19, Andrew Bynum had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Pau Gasol had 11 points and 11 boards for the Lakers, who won their fourth consecutive game. “I didn’t say give me one more chance. I said give me the damn ball,” Bryant said. “I never really give him much of a choice.”

The Celtics led 81-70 before the Lakers made the next four baskets. Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer — his only basket of the game to stop the run, and it was still a three-point game with less than two minutes left when Bryant hit a pair of free throws to make it 87-86. Allen hit a pair of free throws, then Ron Artest sank a runner in the lane to make it 89-88. The Celtics got the ball to Pierce, who created a little too much space for himself, negating the basket. “I thought I made a good move. I got to my sweet spot,” Pierce said. “I guess the ref saw it differently and he made the call. That’s part of the game. That’s why you have referees.” Allen’s 3-point attempt at the final buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim. “Ten times out of 10 times, when you have Ray open like that I’m going to give him the ball,” Pierce said. “He got a good look at it. Sometimes it falls; sometimes it doesn’t.” The Celtics fell behind 22-10 in the first quarter, when Bynum scored 12 points, and trailed 40-34 midway through the second before scoring the next 15 points.